Congressman Marries Partner

Barney Frank has become the first U.S. congressman to enter a same-sex marriage, after he wed his partner James Ready on Saturday July 7.The pair wed in a private ceremony at the Boston Marriot hotel in Newton, in front of 300 friends, relatives and colleagues.

The pair, who have been together since 2007, had the ceremony officiated by Governor Deval Patrick who joked that the newlyweds had vowed to “love each other through Democratic and Republican administrations alike, and even through appearances on Fox News”. Congressman James P. McGovern told the Boston Globe: “I’m thrilled for him, “Massachusetts has always led the way, but Barney has been out front on civil rights issues for a while.”

Mr Frank was one of the first openly gay politicians to be voted into national office, previously spending eight years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The 72-year-old announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election at the end of his current term, reports PinkPaper.